Archive for the ‘Daily Show’ Category

A friend of mine who posts frequently on his facebook account, posted two videos that I thought were ironically related. To clarify, posting means to provide a link to a video or website somewhere else on the web for your social network to see.

The first of these posts was a video during the Emmys of presenters Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert in a comic bit and the second was the student in Florida getting tasered. To summarize the first post, Steve Colbert arrives with a leaf blower to the stage while Stewart criticizes him for it, asking him, “Is that really necessary? This is the Green Emmys.” Colbert replies that the leaf blower isn’t powered by gas but rather Al Gore’s tears and proceeds to criticize Stewart for flying in his triple sandwich jet. Stewart than raises the question that maybe the act of gathering people together for this awards ceremony produces too much carbon emissions to justify it. It’s a good point and a funny bit but then again, it’s not like Stewart heeded his own advice. His comic bit might have been just as effective if they broadcasted from New York and they could have actually done good for the environment, but for the Daily Show staff, it’s enough to make jokes about it.

Jon Stewart and his Daily Show cronies are the heroes of our generation and for what? All they do is make snarky commentary about everything in sight. They don’t stand for anything, and they don’t do anything. All the Daily Show knows how to do is make fun of things. They seem to believe that the mainstream media is poison but do they offer a better solution or have any appreciation for how hard it is to be in the mainstream media? Yeah, it’s a funny bit but did Jon Stewart and Steve Colbert actually do anything to reduce their carbon footprint by going to the ceremony. Rather than making fun of the green movement (which is a prettty noble idea as is), couldn’t they just as easily have participated in it and broadcasted that bit from New York and not lost any comic effect?

I think that relates to the student getting tasered because we’re ill-equipped to actually do things and be proactive when we need to. The students felt passionate about the cause since they joined a protest later, but that’s kind of what we do. We make commentary and stuff after the fact when it would’ve been more effective if we took action on the spot. Same with the Iraq war: it’s easy to criticize it in hindsight but where does that get us.

I think John Stewart is very funny and I wouldn’t think it’s absurd to call him the funniest man on TV (I wouldn’t give him that title myself, but I’d say he’s close to it). However, I don’t agree with us placing him on a pedestal above the mainstream media and politicians. It’s far easier to make fun of newsmen and politicians than it is to actually try to cover the news and make laws.